Introduction to Critical Theory: Horkheimer to HabermasThe writings of the critical theorists caught the imagination of students and intellectuals in the 1960s and 1970s. They became a key element in the formation and self-understanding of the New Left, and have been the subject of continuing controversy. Partly because of their rise to prominence during the political turmoil of the sixties, and partly because they draw on traditions rarely studied in the Anglo-American world, the works of these authors are often misunderstood. In this book David Held provides a much-needed introduction to, and evaluation of, critical theory. He is concerned mainly with the thought of the Frankfurt school—Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, in particular—and with Habermas, one of Europe's leading contemporary thinkers. Several of the major themes considered are critical theory's relation to Marx's critique of the political economy, Freudian psychoanalysis, aesthetics, and the philosophy of history. There is also a discussion of critical theory's substantive contribution to the analysis of capitalism, culture, the family, and the individual, as well as its contribution to epistemology and methodology. Held's book will be necessary reading for all concerned with understanding and evaluating one of the most influential intellectual movements of our time. |
Contents
Note about translation | 12 |
The Frankfurt School | 29 |
critical theory and aesthetics | 77 |
critical theory and psychoanalysis | 110 |
Erich Fromm Wilhelm Reich Concepts of human | 137 |
critical theory | 148 |
epistemology | 223 |
concept of critical theory Stages of development | 232 |
Discourse science and society | 260 |
Interests knowledge and action | 296 |
The reformulation of the foundations of critical theory | 330 |
Part Three The Importance and Limitations of Critical | 351 |
The concept of critical theory | 379 |
Appendix The Odyssey | 401 |
483 | |
501 | |
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action activity analysis argued assessment authoritarian Authoritarian Personality become bourgeois capitalism capitalist central claim cognitive communication concept concern consciousness context contradictions crisis critical theory critique culture industry dependent dialectic Dialectic of Enlightenment discourse domination economic empirical Enlightenment epistemology essays example existence expressed fascism forces framework Frankfurt school Freud grasp Habermas Habermas's Hegel historical Horkheimer and Adorno Horkheimer's human ideal ideas identity ideology immanent individual Institute Institute's instrumental reason interaction interest interpretation knowledge labour Legitimation Crisis Lukács Marcuse Marcuse's Marx Marx's Marxism mass means ment mode nature negation negative dialectics Neumann norms notion object Odysseus organization orthodox Marxism particular philosophy political position positivism possible potential practice production psychoanalysis rational reality reflection reification relations relations of production represents revolutionary society specific sphere structure struggle superego theoretical theorists thinking thought tion tradition transformation truth understanding writings